Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Women's Hoops Beaten In MAC Road Opener
January 05, 2002 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 5, 2002
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team saw a comeback effort fall short on the road against Central Michigan University Saturday afternoon (Jan. 5). The Falcons fell to the host Chippewas by an 81-71 margin. The Mid-American Conference game was held at Rose Arena.
The win improved CMU to 9-4 overall and 1-1 in MAC action. The Chippewas won just four total games last season, and only one in league play. BGSU fell to 3-10 and 0-2, respectively.
The Falcons, behind by as many as 23 points, cut the deficit to seven points, but could get no closer.
The contest had started well for the visitors. After a pair of CMU free throws opened the scoring, the Falcons reeled off the next 10 points, with five different players scoring in that time. After scoring those 10 points in the game's first 2:11, however, BG would manage just 15 points over the final 17:49 of the half.
CMU responded to the Falcons' 10-point run with an eight-point run of their own to tie the game, then - after a three-point field goal by senior Francine Miller - scored the next seven points. CMU's Kendra Martin scored the first six of those points, capping a stretch in which she scored eight consecutive CMU markers.
Sophomore Lindsay Austin got a bucket to cut the CMU edge to 17-15, and the Falcons still were within three points (21-18) after a trey by senior Dana Western-Schuka at the 6:47 mark. A minute later, however, CMU's Vershaun Jones sparked a 10-0 run over the next four-plus minutes, giving the hosts a 33-20 lead. Jones scored eight consecutive points for CMU, and Elizabeth Widman capped that run with four free throws.
After a layup by sophomore Kelly Kapferer, the Chips scored the last seven points of the half to extend the lead to 18 points, 40-22, at the half.
The lead remained in double digits for the first 16 minutes of the second half, and the host school led by as many as 23 points after an Abby Lawinger triple midway through the stanza. The Chippewas still led by 22 points after a layup by Desiree Eidson gave them a 71-49 edge with exactly eight minutes to play. But, the Falcons then came to life.
A 6-0 BG run, featuring four points from Austin, cut the lead to 16, and after an Eidson layup with 5:28 left, the Falcons began another run. That Eidson basket, which gave her team a 73-55 lead, would be CMU's last points for over four minutes, and the Chips would not score another basket until less than one second remained in the contest.
Trailing by that 73-55 count, the Falcons began a run that would see the lead cut to single digits. Kapferer converted a three-point play, and junior Kim Griech was fouled while attempting a three-pointer. She drained all three charity tosses, and the lead was down to 12 with 4:32 left.
Then, Miller hit a three-point shot to cut the margin to nine points at the 3:57 mark. When Austin converted a layup, the lead was just 73-66 with 2:40 remaining. And, the Falcons, already on an 11-0 run, had their chances to make the game even closer.
BG forced a turnover, and had several shots at the basket on the ensuing possession. But, BG could not get a shot to fall. Then, after a CMU miss, BG had one more chance to cut the lead to four or five points. The Falcons couldn't get a shot to fall, and CMU rebounded.
The Chippewas salted the game away by making 6-of-6 attempts from the line in the game's final minute.
The Falcons had four players in double digits in scoring, led by Miller's 15 points off the bench. Griech had 14, while Austin added 13. Kapferer had 11 points in the contest.
Eidson had 21 points to pace four Central double-digit scorers, while Kendra Martin scored 17. Jones had 16 points and a game-high 16 rebounds, and Molli Munz added 10 points.
The Falcons, after shooting .321 in the first half, made 16-of-31 shots from the floor (.516) in the second 20 minutes, for the team's top-shooting half of the season. BG shot a season-best .424 for the game.
CMU shot .446 from the floor, and the Chippewas were 3-of-11 from three-point land (.273). BGSU made seven treys in 14 attempts.
The hosts held a 42-33 rebounding edge. Western-Schuka paced BGSU in that category with eight.
The Falcons return home to begin a three-game homestand with a Wednesday (Jan. 9) contest against Northern Illinois University. That game is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. at venerable Anderson Arena.
